Hermetically-sealed package and method of sealing



A. PODEL April 8, 1930.

HERMETICALLY SEALED PACKAGE AND METHOD SEALING Filed April 21, 1927 III' u m l mm UM N EEE F! lHlH I III INVENTOR I ATTORNEY; 1

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uummummlm nu Patented Apr. 8, 1930 UNrrEo STATES PATENT oFFncE Y ABRAHAM PODEL, OF BRONX, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO ANCHOR CAI daOLOSUBE COR- PORATION, OF LONG I$LAND CITY, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK :HERMErmAL Y-smmn PACKAGE ms name!) or SEALING Application filed Ap rfl 21, 1927. Serial No. 185,478.

The present invention relates generally to the sealing art and more particularly to a hermetically sealed package and method of sealing.

An object of the present invention is to form an effective inexpensive side seal on a container having a substantially cylindrical side wall.

Another object of the invention is to form with a very thin gasket, an effective seal over a relatively wide sealing zone on the side wall of a container. 7

Another object of the invention isto provide an efiective seal over a sealing zone having a width substantially equal to the width of the skirt of the cap by depressing the cover portion of the cap to pull the upper part of the skirt toward the container and by constricting the lower portion of the skirt to compress the lower part of the gasket.

Another object of the inventionis an effective method of sealing a cap having a gasket in the skirt thereof by permanently setting the cover portion of the cap in the mouth of the container and by permanently constricting the lower portion of the skirt whereby the gasket is compressed throughout its width.

A further object of the invention is to provide an effective method of sealing by assembling a container and closure cap. having a gasket in the skirt thereof fitting loosely about the side wall of the container, depressing the cover portion of the cap to force the air from the container and to form a seal at the upper part of the gasket and completing the sealing operation by constricting the lower portion of the skirt to form an effective seal throughout the width of the gasket.

Other and further objects of the invention will be obvious upon an understanding of the illustrative embodiment about to be described; and various advantages not referred to herein will occur to one skilled in the art upon employment of the invention in practice.

In accordance with these and other objects of the invention, a closure cap is provided having a depending skirt with the lower edge thereof inturned to support a relatively wide -thin gasket. Preferably the lower periphery of the skirt is flared outwardly to facilitate application of the cap to a container although the skirt of the cap may be sufficiently large so that the flare is not necessary. A- preferredmethod of sealing the cap on the package is to place the cap with a gasket in the skirt thereof on the container. This may be done by automatic machines or otherwise. Thereafter the cover portion of the cap is pressed downwardly into the mouth of the container. This has the twofold function of expelling any gas in the upper part of the container, and of pulling the upper part of the skirt toward the side wall of the container thereby tightly to press the gasket therebetween.

If the package is sealed in a vacuum or sealed with the contents hot the depression of the cover portion of the cap prior to sealing gives a'better vacuum than if the cover is not so depressed. The final sealing operation may beaccomplished by constricting the lower flared portion of the skirt by means of a sleeve die or otherwise to press tightly the lower portion of the gasket against the sealing wall of the container whereby the gasket is held rigidly in place throughout its width.

A preferred embodiment has been chosen for purposes of illustration and description and is shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein Fig. 1 is a cross-sectional view of the die in 1 position for the sealing operation, certain parts of the container being broken away to illustrated parts of the closure.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view'similar to Fig. 1 at the completion of the sealing operation; Fig. 3 is a side elevational view of a sealed container; I

Fig. 4 is a sectional view of another form of die in position for sealing;

Fig. 5 is a top plan view of a preferred form of closure cap and Fig. 6 is a sectional view of the closure cap.

Referring to the drawings there is shown a container 1 having a closure cap 2 in position thereon. The closure cap preferably comprises a cover portion 4 and a depending skirt 5. The lower portion 6 of the skirt is part 0 10 portion of the cap to improve its a pearance and to facilitate the withdrawal 0 air from the container. Both the skirt of'the cap and the gasket are sufiiciently large to fit loosely about the side wall of the container.

A suitable chuck for effecting the sealing operation may comprise a sleeve die or chuck 11 sufliciently large to slide overthe outer periphery of the cap without doing more than slightly constructing the skirt thereof. The

inner edge of the die is rounded as shown at 12 so that the flared portion 6 ofthe skirt of the cap is gradually pressed inwardly to force the gasket against the side wall of the container and to straighten the skirt of the cap.

Slidably mounted in the sleeve die is the pressure piston 14 suitably held in position by means of a coiled spring 15 on the stem 16. The bottom of the pressure piston 14 is rounded slightly as shown at 17 to depress the cover portion of the cap downwardly into the container.

In forming the seal in accordance with the preferred method the assembled cap and gasket are placed on the container as shown in Fig. 1. The container is then placed under the sleeve die and suitable mechanism (not shown) forces the pressure piston 14 downwardly, thereby permanently setting the cover portion of the cap in flexed position as shown in Fig. 2.

This partially expels the air or other gas from the container thereby eliminating trapped air and preventing the formation of pressure in packages sealed while exposed to atmospheric pressure. The depression of the cover portion also pulls the skirt of the cap toward the container, tightly to compress the gasket against the side wall thereof. Thereafter the sealing die descends and the curved portion 12 engages the flared portion 6 of the cap and constricts it about the side wall of the container 'to compress the lower portion of the gasket against the container and to form an effective seal throughout the width of the gasket. The lower edge of the skirt of the cap on a sealed container may be flared slightly due to the tendency of the metal to return to its normal flared position. The above sealing operation may also be performed in a vacuum chamber or the contents may be sealed hot to form a vacuum seal in accordance with modern practice. In either event the pressing of the cover portion of the cap inwardly prior to the sealing operation expels a part 0 the air or other gas and eliminates the partial com ression occasioned in the ordinary seals by t e trapping of air and by the flexing of the cover portion of the cap subsequent to the sealing o eration.

The resulting package as a seal formed over a relatively wide sealing zone, that is, the width of the gasket, without any apparent deformation of the skirt of the cap. The skirt in its substantially straightened form, is not marred in any way and presents an attractive appearance. The gasket is relatively thin and accordingly inexpensive. The depressed cover portion not only assures a more effective vacuum but likewise gives that appearance.

Another embodiment of the invention is shown in Fig. 4, wherein the rounded portion 17 for epressing the cover portion of the cap is integral with the sleeve die 20. A suitable spring 21 may surround the stem of the die to aflord suflicient resilience to prevent breakage of the containers in the sealing operation. In the operation of this die the flared portion of the skirt of the cap is constricted about the side wall of the container prior to the depression of the cover of the cap and the compression of the upper portion of the sealing gasket. Such construction is particularly useful where the containers are sealed in a vacuum. Where the containers are not sealed in a vacuum, the trapping of air renders this construction less desirable than the preferred form described hereinbefore.

It will be seen that the present invention provides a very effective seal between the side wall of a container and the skirt of a closure cap. The sealing zone is extremely Wide and the likelihood of leaks is reduced to a minimum. Further, the air is forced from the space at the top of the container prior to the sealing o eration. Swells and the like may be readily etected by the cover portion being forced from its depressed position and at the same time the cap itself will remain on the container and prevent any spilling of the contents. The method of sealing is simple and effective and the resulting package is neat in appearance and fully capable of withstanding the rough handling to which it may be subjected in transportation.

As various changes may be made in the above embodiment without departin from the spirit of the invention, the above escription is to be taken as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. A hermetically sealed package comprising a container having a substantially cylindrical side wall, a closure cap having a cover portion and a substantially cylindrical depending skirt, and a gasket in said skirt extending substantially the entire height thereof, the cover portion of said cap being mechanically flexed and permanently skirt of the cap against the side wall of the container, the lower part of the skirt being constricted to press said gasket against the side wall throughout its width.

3. A hermetically sealed package comprising a container having a substantially cylindrical side wall, a closure cap having a depending skirt turned inwardly at its lower edge, a gasket in said skirt, the cover portion of the cap being-depressed in opposltion to the pressure within the container to compress the upper part of the gasket, and the lower part of the skirt being constricted to press the lower part of said gasket against the side wall of the container.

4:. A hermetically sealed package comprise ing a container, a closure ca having a depending skirt turned inwar y at its lower edge, and a gasket resting upon said inturned portion and extending substantially the entire height of the skirt, the cover portion of the cap being permanently set in a flexed position independently of the diflerential pressure within and without the container to compress the upper part of the gasket, and the lower part of the skirt being constricted to compress the lower part of said gasket against the side wall of the container.

5. A hermetically sealed ackage comprising a container having a su stantially cylindrical side wall and a closure cap having a depending skirt with an annular bead therein, the lower edge of said skirt being turned inwardly to form a shelf, a gasket resting loosely on said shelf, the center of the cover of the cap being depressed to form an eifective seal at the upper part of the gasket .and the lower portion of the skirt being constricted to form an effective seal at the lower portion of the gasket.

6. A hermetically sealed package comprising a container having a substantially cylindrical sealing wall, a closure cap having a cover portion and a depending skirt, the center of the cover of the cap being permanently set in a flexed position irrespective of the conditions within the container to constrict the upper portion of the skirt of the cap to form an efi'ective seal between the upper part of the gasket and the side wall of the container. I

7. A hermetically sealed package comprising a container, a closure cap with an annular bead therein, the lower edge of the skirt bein turned inwardly,'and a gasket resting loose y upon said inturned portion, the portion of said skirt above said bead being constricted, and the portion of said skirt below said bead being constricted inwardly ,to

force said gasket firmly into contact with the side wall of the container substantially throughout the width of the gasket.

8. The method of sealing a container with a closure cap having a cover portion and a depending skirt flared at its lower edge, which method comprises placing the closure upon the container with a gasket in the skirt thereof depressing the center portion of the cover independently of atmospheric pressure to pull the u per part of the skirt inwardly and to press t e gasket against the sealingwall of the container, and constricting the lower portion of the skirt to form an effective seal throughout the width of the gasket.

9. The method of sealing a container with a closure cap having a depending skirt, which method comprises placing the closure on the container with a gasket in the skirt fitting loosely about the side wall of the container, and permanently setting the cover portion of the cap downwardly into the mouth of the contalner in opposition to the pressure therein to pull the skirt of the cap toward the side wall to tightly compress the gasket therebetween.

'10. The method of sealing a container with a closure cap, which method comprises placing the cover on the container with the gasket in the skirt thereof fitting loosely about the sealing zone, constricting the upper part of the skirt and thereafter constricting the lower part of the skirt to form an effective seal throughout the width of the gasket.

. 11. The method of sealing a container with a closure cap having a gasket in the skirt thereof, whichmethod comprises placing the closure cap with the gasket in the skirt thereof on the container, exhausting the air from the container, mechanically depressing independently of atmospheric pressure the cover portion of the cap into the container, and thereafter constricting the lower portion of the skirt about the side wall of the container to compress the gasket therebetween throughout its entire width.

12. The method of sealing a container with a closure cap having a gasket in the skirt thereof, which method comprises placing the closure cap with the gasket in the skirt there of on the container, exhausting the air from the container and thereafter mechanically setting the cover portion of the cap in the container and then constricting the lower portion of the skirt about the side wall of the container to form an effective side seal on the container.

13. The method of sealing a container with a closure cap having a gasket mounted loosely in the skirt thereof, which method comprises constricting and meehanicallysetting the upper part of the skirt and gasket against the side wall of the container and thereafter compressing the lower portion of the skirt and gasket against the'container to form a seal substantially throughout the width of the gasket.

' ABRAHAM PODEL. 

